Cashing in

So...um...Kevin Cash is a stud who hits bombs. Yeah, you heard that right. Kevin Cash. Hit a homer. Over the Monster. Raise your hand if you saw that one coming.

Yeah, me neither. And that was after he caught a jewel of a game by Wakefield, with only one passed ball - no small feat for a knuckleball catcher. And after drawing the first intentional walk of his career. And after throwing a runner out trying to steal. All of that and I was already thinking that Cash was having himself quite a night, and then he absolutely crushed that 2-2 slider from Juan Cruz and I was done. Give that boy a ticket on the hot tamale train!

Other things I never knew the Sox could do:

1. How about Brandon Moss and those two RBIs, hm? As far as I'm concerned, that makes up for his bobble in game one.

2. Flame-throwing Manny Delcarmen! He's really shown some improvement this year; I don't cringe and pull my ballcap over my eyes whenever he takes the mound anymore. Last night, he hit 99 mph on the radar gun at least once and pitched a perfect 8th inning (I love the 8th inning!), helping preserve the shutout.

3. Tim Wakefield pitching like a rock star. Or, in his case, a country music star. He allowed only two hits over seven innings, gave up no runs, struck out six and walked just one. That's a pretty badass knuckleball.

Also, it's good to know that unlike previously thought, I am not, in fact, Papelbon kryptonite. Don't think I wasn't watching that last out through my fingers, though.

Anyone else think that poor Dougie was sitting alone at home watching the game, stuffing his face with chicken parm and weeping over how much he misses his beloved Timmy? "Who does that Kevin Cash think he is!" he sniffles. "That should have been me going deep, damn it! That should have been me!"

Sorry, Doug. Seems you've been replaced.